Mishawaka, Ind. (June 20, 2012) – WellPet, LLC, the makers of natural food for pets, unveiled Wednesday the completed first phase of a $20 million expansion project at its plant in Mishawaka, Ind. This recently completed phase doubled the plant’s production capacity, revamped its state-of-the-art onsite quality and safety laboratory, and will bring 45 new jobs to the area by year’s end. This plant has a rich history in Mishawaka, originally built in 1976, the plant remains home to WellPet’s Eagle Pack® and Holistic Select® brands, and now also produces the company’s flagship brand, Wellness®.

“We are committed to nutritional innovation, product quality and safety,” said Tim Callahan, Chief Executive Officer, WellPet. “Our newly expanded facility allows us to bring the best and safest natural foods to the pets who depend on us.”

With this expansion, WellPet will bring the vast majority of food production into its proprietary facility. The addition of 45 new employees will enable WellPet to not only double its production capacity, but also further enhance the plant’s quality and safety protocols, which exceed the standards set by the Food and Drug Administration and Association of American Feed Control Officials. WellPet has made improvements to its already high quality assurance and traceability capabilities, including the addition of new packaging lines and new testing equipment. WellPet ensures the high quality of every batch of food by performing quality and safety testing at multiple points throughout the production process.

Additional renovations include expansion of the two existing warehouses and a distribution center.

All told, the WellPet facility will grow to 150,000 square feet by the end of 2012, allowing WellPet to double its production capacity. This makes the Mishawaka plant the leading manufacturer of all the natural pet food in the WellPet family, which are all made in the United States and Canada.